Whoosh! Dr. J's ABA jersey fetches $141,927Dr. J's New York Nets ABA jersey from 1973-'74 sold for $141,927, the most ever paid for a basketball jersey, during a Sept. 9 Grey Flannel Auctions sale at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Julius Erving, Dr. J, never disappointed on the basketball court during his Hall of Fame career. The Grey Flannel Auction sale of Dr. J's New York Nets ABA jersey from circa 1973-74 electrified a crowd Sept. 9, during the shrine's induction weekend. The game-used home jersey sold for $141,927, the most ever paid for a basketball jersey.

The results from the auction were as breathtaking as Dr. J swooping down the lane with a thunderous dunk. No one could touch him on the court. And no one could touch him in this auction.

And Tom Seaver's New York Mets game-used, signed home flannel jersey and pants from 1971 sold for $51,700.

Lew Alcindor's game-used road UCLA jersey from the late 1960s sold for $49,350.

A total of 386 top quality lots, sports and Americana, sold for a total of $1,374,688. Richard Russek, president and CEO of Grey Flannel Auctions, whose company has sported such an event in Yankee Stadium, was equally amazed by the historic backdrop for this legendary memorabilia auction.

"The auction was spectacular, but taken in its entirety, with the Hall of Fame weekend, the days filled with great nostalgia, history and excitement, I felt chills up my spine," Russek said. "What a day. What a weekend." Grey Flannel also sponsored a dinner with Hall of Fame patrons, friends and guests; and, of course, the inductees.

"Any fan or collector who's ever attended a Hall of Fame induction in any sport knows how special the time is," Russek added. "Collectors try to capture that feeling in their homes and offices when they assemble historic items, and they had terrific opportunities either to begin a collection or add historic pieces to their holdings with this sale."

The overall auction was buoyed by numerous results, among them:
* Julius Erving’s Philadelphia 76ers game-used jersey, signed, from 1985-86, including shorts, sold for $14,715.
* A Chicago Bulls Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy from 1992-'93 sold for $15,275;
* A 1976 Raiders Super Bowl XI Championship Ring sold for $16,764;
* Rick Barry's game-used Golden State Warriors home jersey from the late 1960s sold for $19,975;
* "Pistol" Pete Maravich LSU Tigers game-worn warmup jacket sold for $23,500;
* John Havlicek's circa 1970s game-used Boston Celtics road jersey, signed, sold for $25,850;
* George Gervin's 1970s San Antonio Spurs game-used road jersey, signed, sold for $29,283;
* Larry Bird's game-used and signed Indiana State jersey, circa 1977, sold for $9,988; Bird's game-used road jersey and shorts from 1989-'90 sold for $7,050;
Michael Jordan made the all-star auction lineup. His 1989-90 game-used Chicago Bulls home jersey sold for $8,602.

While the day and weekend clearly were devoted to basketball, the
Grey Flannel Auction sale saluted the heroes of other major sports.